21 March 2013 Where are you Kodaline hipsters to tell me you preferred them when they were 21 Demands? Okay, I throw down that gauntlet knowing full well that Kodaline fandom doesn't really lend itself to hipsterism. Chart factoids, though, are always hip, and this is a band who've had two Irish number one singles … Continue reading Kodaline – ‘High Hopes’ →

21 September 1968 Copperfastening my realisation that, 'Hey Jude' aside, 1968 may be our worst year ever for number one singles, here come the Bee Gees. I hadn't realised there were five of them at that stage; as per the cover image above, the three Gibbs had dragged two unrelated randomers into their hot mess. … Continue reading Bee Gees – ‘I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You’ →

28 February 2013 We've not had Ed Sheeran at number one yet—that pleasure is still a year away—but 'Let Her Go' can serve as our entrée to Ed-ism. Passenger's chart-topping profile in early 2013 came in great part from supporting Sheeran on his Irish tour that January. So, there's a good deal of similar baggy-jumper … Continue reading Passenger – ‘Let Her Go’ →

21 February 2013 One to remember for your next table quiz: which Irish act had a top 30 single in the UK and Ireland with 'Teenage Kicks'? Answer: Niall Horan, as part of One Direction, with this 2013 charity single that topped both charts. The original by The Undertones only reached no. 31 in the … Continue reading One Direction – ‘One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)’ →

14 September 1968 Even taking into account the local dominance of showbands, the contemporary folk boom, the demon seed of Jim Reeves, the ready availability of low-grade Merseybeat, and the pop-cultural isolation of our country at the time, it's still been surprising to me just how few of the genuinely iconic '60s hits actually got … Continue reading The Beatles – ‘Hey Jude’ →

14 February 2013 Macklemore made an unlikely return to the Irish charts in 2024 with 'Hind's Hall', an impressively committed and articulate track in response to the heavy-handed treatment of pro-Palestine demonstrations on US college campuses. I say "unlikely" because most of us had probably lost track of Macklemore, weren't aware of his politics, and … Continue reading Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – ‘Thrift Shop’ →

7 September 1968 Just when I thought Ireland's number ones of 1968 couldn't get any worse, here's Cork's most prevalent showband. Their frontperson was singer Brendan O'Brien but their real star seems to have been drummer Joe Mac, who was still popping up with skits and japes on Irish light-entertainment television during my otherwise happy … Continue reading The Dixies – ‘Little Arrows’ →

17 January 2013 It doesn't feature the crassness of David Guetta or the Black Eyed Peas, but this wouldn't be a Will.i.am hit without some tang of unpleasantness. 'Scream & Shout' was originally written and recorded by Tulisa, which gives it an Irish connection since two of her uncles from Dublin had an Irish number … Continue reading Will.i.am & Britney Spears – ‘Scream & Shout’ →

17 August 1968 No one gets murdered in the 'Help Yourself' universe, which already makes it an improvement on 'Delilah' and 'Green, Green Grass Of Home'. So, how goes Tom Jones, cabaret pop's most prolific killer, when he contains his chart-topping bloodlust to focus on mere lust? 'Help Yourself' isn't as brash as I had … Continue reading Tom Jones – ‘Help Yourself’ →